Automobile lamp lens



' 1,615 548 Jan. 25, 1927. c. A. MmHEL AUTOMOBILE LAMP LENS Filed Sept. 25, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 25,1927. 4 1,615,548

C. A. MICHEL AUTOMOBILE LAMP LENS Filed Sept. 23, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 wio/ 2 '1 Jan 7 c. A-. MICHEL AUTOMOBILE LAMP LENS Filed Sept. 23, 1922 3 Sheets-Shet 5 Patented Jan. 1 927.

" UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE A. MICHEL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASS IGNOB TO THE GUIDE MOTOR LAMP MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

AUTOMOBILE LAMB I LENS.

Application filed September 23, 1922. Serial No. 589,967.

This invention relates generally to automobile headlights and more particularly to a novel construction of lens used in connection with an unsymmetrical reflector, the object being to provide a headlight in which the usual type of commercial incandescent filament is employed and the rays' of light initially directed downwardly due to the due tot unsymmetrical form of the reflector and then laterally widen the downwardly deflected rays so as toprovide the best road illumination, that is, widen the beam at the point nearest the car and strengthen the beam at the remote point in advance of the car and these objects I accomplish by providing zones of refracting surfaces for the purpose of takin care of the vertical rays of light fie unsymmetrical formation ofthe reflector.

The invention consists also in certain details of construction hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Inthc drawings forming a part of this inventio' W Figure 1 is a face view of'a headlight lens constructed. in accordance with my invention;

Fi ure 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line Figure 1;

Figure is a transverse section on the line 3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4": an enlarged section of the same in order to illustrate theformation of the nifracting portionsof the screen;

Figure 5 is a'vertical sectional view of the reflector and retracting screen;

Figure 6 is a view showing the transverse sha e of the was mmetrical reflector;

l? igure 7 is a iagrammatic View showing the relative )ositions of the various portions of the cam of light projected. upon the roadway;-

Figure 8 is a. disassociated diagrammatic view showing the relative ositions of the beam emanating from the amp;

Figure 9 is a View illustrating in a vertical manner the path of light; and

Figure 10 is a view diagrammatically illustratiug in plan; view the path of light at its-paint of interception with the roadway; In carrying out my invention employ an. unsymmetrical reflector 10, that is the upper and lower halves are un ike and also have their fcci separated, although prefer ably arranged in the longitudinal axis of the reflector, although it is not absolutely necessary that the foci should be so .positioned.

In practice the ordinary commercial fila ment is arranged in the longitudinal axis of the reflector and so positioned that the rays of hght 12 reflected from the unlike sections order to laterally s read the rays of light passing therethroug and I prefer to arrange these refractive portions of the screen in zones so that the proper road illumination can be had.

With. this particular object in View I provide a series of flutes or risnis A at the upper central. portion of t e' screen, there being ten such flutes shown and the six cantrai flutes are of slightly di curvature two each upon opposite si es of the centrai six,

Upon opposite sides of the flutes or risms A and it and in the upper half of tire refractive screen, I provide the flutes or prisms B, there being five such prisms @own on each side of the centrallydispesed prisms or flutes A. and A. and it will be noted that the two flutes or risms B nearest the cen ter extend or continue to the lower new of the refractive screen as most eleariy s lawn in Figure l and between these two continuous flutes or prisms B I provide a series of five flutes or prisms of the same curve ture as the flutes or prisms B and directly beneath the flutes or prisms A, and these prisms in the lower, half of the screen. I designate as C, and upon opposite sides of the flutes or prisms Q l provide flutes or prisms I), which are of the same 'curva ture as of the tint-es or prisms A,

Aros'ind the upper edge of the screen and extending at the sides a short distance beie'w the horizontal diameter the screen is pebbled or ground. as shown at X in order to keep out .frc-zn the other four A dis in series of any of the stray rays that might be protil jected owing to slight inaccuracies in the manufacture of the reflector.

lln making an unsymmetrical reflector, there are, of course, at each side, surfaces of transition D where the upper section and lower section blend together and it is for the purpose of taking care of-the rays re flected from these transition surfaces that the zones of flutes or prisms D are provided. lnFig. 6 l have indicated in a general way the cross sectional shape of the reflector comprising the upper and lower sections and the intermediate transition surfaces.

When a refractive screen, such as shown in Figure 1, is used in connection with an unsymmetrical reflector and an electric bulb arranged at the point 15, the rays of light will pass through the screen in the manner indicated in Figures 9 and 10 at A B (3 and D and diagrammed in plan view in Figures 7 and 8 at A B G and D and by referring to these figures it will be noted that the prisms D will spread the light at the point nearest the car, which is highly advantageous as it enables the driverto observe the exact position of the car with reference to the edge of the roadway. I

The zones A and A and B and B overlap each other to a certain extent as shown in Figs. 7, 9 and 10 and likewise the part illuminated by prisms D and the rays proiected through the prisms C are spread the least and reach the roadway at the most remote point from the car as shown at C in Figs. 9 and 10. In this manner I eliminate the objectionable glare of the high-power automobile headlight and break up the downwardly deflected. beam so as to obtain road illumination both in advance of the car and in a wide zone at a point adjacent the car.

till

Having thus described my invention, what ll claim and desire to secure by Letters Pateat is 1. In an automobile headlight, the combi nation with a reflector and a source of light, said reflector being adapted to reflect the rays of light downwardly, and a refractive screen arranged in advance of said reflector, said refractive screen having vertically extending prisms adapted to laterally refract the rays of light passing therethrough, the centrally disposed prisms in the upper half of the screen being of a curvature to give the greatest lateral spread, the prisms at each side of the lower half of the screen being of the same curvature as the centrally disnarrates posed prisms of the upper half and adapted to give a greater spread to the rays of light than the prisms of the lower half intermediate said prisms at each side of the lower half, the prisms at each side of the upper half of the screen being of the same curvature and refractive power-as the intermediate prisms of the lower half.

2. In an automobile headlight the combination with a source of light and a reflector, said reflector being constructed to reflect the rays of light downwardly, and a refractivescreen arranged in advance of the reflector, said screen havin a series of vertically extending prisms a apted to retract the rays of light laterally, the centrally disposed prisms A. in the upper half of the screen being of a different curvature from the prisms it upon opposite sides of the centrally disposed prisms A and of greater refractive power than said prisms A, vertical prisms D at each side of the lower half of the screen and being of the same curvature and refractive power as the centrally disposed prisms A. of the upper half, prisms B upon opposite sides of the prisms A and of a curvature having less refractive power than the prisms A and prisms G in the lower half of the screen of the same curvature and refractive power as the prisms B.

3., in an automobile headlight, the combination with a source of light, of a reflector comprising upper and lower halves of different curvatures and intermediate transition surfaces, and a refractive screen arranged in advance of said reflector, said screen having a series of vertical prisms adapted to laterally refract the rays of light passing therethrough, the centrally disposed prisms A of the upper half of the screen being of a curvature to produce a greater refraction than the adjacent prisms A in the upper half of the screen,the prisms D at each side of the lower half of the screen being of the same curvature and refractive power as the centrally disposed prisms A and adapted to refract the rays of light reflected from the-transition surfaces, the prisms O in the lower half of the screen intermediate the prisms D being of a curvature having less refractive power than the prisms D and the prisms B in the upper half of the screen having the same curvature and refractive power as the prisms C in the lower half, as and for the purpose set forth,

in testimony whereof, I hereunto aflfix my signature,

CLAREI TCE A. MIQHEL.

lltl 

